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Toledo's Mayor announces temporary emergency leave for 326 employees

Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announces the economic impacts of coronavirus is forcing the City to place more than 300 employees on emergency leave.

TOLEDO, Ohio — The coronavirus pandemic is prompting the City of Toledo to make cuts. 

Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz announced Thursday, the economic impacts have put them in a position they never wanted to be in. 

"It's not a opinion, it's just a fact. We are now in a recession. The longest period of uninterrupted job growth in the history of our nation is over," Mayor Kapszukiewicz said.

Beginning April 16, the mayor announced that 326 employees are going to be placed on temporary emergency leave. He said all of this happened so quickly. 

Therefore, the impacts of the pandemic didn't give the city a chance to make preparations.

According to the mayor, the reason Toledo is faced with harder challenges is because of the way the city is funded. 

70 percent of the funding comes from payroll income tax, meaning the fewer people who are working, the less money is going to the city.

At this rate, the mayor says, Toledo is faced with a $25 million deficit.

"In Toledo, we held out as long as we possible could, we are now one of the last cities to move into our new reality," Kapszukiewicz said.

Kapszukiewicz said the temporary emergency leave will be evaluated every 30 days and he does not imagine having to add more employees to the list before the days are up.

"That's just not gonna happen, I think this is where we are for 30 days and we'll re-evaluate. there's not additional T.E.L.'s that will be offered in those next 30 days," Kapszukiewicz said.

The number of people placed on leave was determined from city directors on critical and non-critical designations. Over the next month, the cuts would save about $600,000.

Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said cuts to uniformed service, like police and fire are off the table.

He wants to remind everyone that the city that we will be faced with some tough weeks and months ahead because as fast as our city's economy declined, the rise will be much slower. 

You can watch the Mayor's full announcement here

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